Fire extinguisher



May 1 3, 319311 G. w. MOFFITT 1,758,458

FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Sept. 25, 1925 Patented May 13, 1&3@

W. MOFFIT'I, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA man nxrrneusnnn Application filed September 23, 1925. Serial No. 58,043.

tion of a particularly compact apparatusY comprising a simple tank unit in which. are

included, as structuralV parts thereof, the' various receptacles forcontainingy and for the mixing of the liquid charges.

Another object of this invention is to providey a fire extinguisher of the character described which will be particularly efficient as to construction and operation inasmuch as the several chemical compartments are normally lsealed but simultaneously V,and continuously discharge into a mixing chamber upon a simple rotative displacement of the single tank in which all said compartments and the chamber are provided, andsaid com.- partmentsare automatically re-,sealed when the tank is restored to normal position.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the 'follows ing description of the preferred form of my 'invention which is villustratedin the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myselfto the showing made yby the said drawings and description, asv I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view fire extinguisher of my invention inoperatively disposed. Figure 2 isa sectional view taken on the line 2-12 in Figure 1.

Figure is an enlarged fragmentary view showingl the valves and mixing chambers of the device operatively disposed.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing another embodimentof a portion of the device. y l i In an apparatus designed to produce a fire smothering foam by effecting a mixture of differentnon-acid or acid liquids, it has been the usual practice to provide separate containers for the various liquids and `to ranged to have portionsM of their mix such liquids onlyin the delivery pipe. Such an arrangement has necessitated the use of v an independent mea-ns for causing` the ilow of liquids from the respective tanks,`and as a result the necessary apparatus has been both bulky and complicated and its use has been practically limited ftoV built-in installations. On the otherhand, complete mixingof the entire charges of the liquids in one or both of the tanks at one time, would result in the generation of an excessive pressure andl the instantaneous rather than continuous production of the foam. It will thus'be noted that the useof apparatus, such as the ordinaryV acid-soda type, in which the charges would` be thus mixed, isnot practicable. Inv accordance with my invention, however," a compact and unitary structure is provided in which vliquids which react to produce a gasfcharged fire smothering foam are archarges mixed onlyas the foam is used, and in which the pressure of the gasprimarily generated is utilized to eject the foam from the apparatus. u y To produce a structure having the hereinbefore mentioned qualities of compactness and simplicity, I utilize, as here shown, a cylindrical tank 6, such tank being mounted for rotation about its axis on axially aligned stub-shafts or trunnions 7 and 8 provided at oppositelends ofv'thetank. In order that a single tank unit may in'itself serve to: provide compartmentsfor the different liquids inthe simplest possible manner, thetank cavityis dividedinto compartments 11 and 12 by means of a plate Qiixedly positioned in the ,tank and arranged'transversely thereof. The plateisso-located that the ratio of the capacities ofthe compartments is in the desired ratio ofgmi'xing of the liquids to be placed therein. In this mannerit will be noted, a pair of independent compartments is provided in desiredjuxtaposition -without n necessitating the use of the two Vdistincttanks Y heretofore included in extinguisher units.

Preferably arranged to lie in the'plane of the partition, and extending outwardly of the tank, 'is a chamber 13 which is here shown defined by and between a flange 14 fixed to f the Wall` 16 of the tank, athreaded :cap 17 arranged to operatively engage the flange 14, and a depressed portion 18 of the tank Wall centrally of which the partition terminates. The chamber 13,it Will now be noted, is arranged to serve in the double capacity of a mixing chamber and a sump for the fluid, and the Wall portion is accordingly perforated to provide a pair of inlet passages 21 and 22 respectively opening from the comH partments 11 and 12 of the tank, and a disi charge opening 23 through Which a discharge pipe 24 is arrangedto extend. In this man ner, When-the tank is disposed with the chamber 13 extending' upwardly therefrom, andl the compartments charged With their respectivefliquids to the same level, the mixing of suchliquids Will be prevented, but when the tank isrotated to position the chamber 13 inv depending position With respect to the tank,

the fluids ofthe compartments Will flovvinto the chamber in proportion to :their respecl tive volumes to become 'mixed therein, and

openings, as here shown,

' the gas` pressure created Will be exerted to force the resulting foam from the chamber into the discharge pipe 24. e

gzIny order to `1`event the mixing of the `fluidsby splashing When theapparatus is Y inoperatively disposed, the passages 2,1 and 22 are preferably arranged to be closed by suitable one-Way ivalves such as the clack valves 26 here shown, such valves being are Vranged to open upon the operative positioning of the tankfBafHe plates 27fmay also be lixedly positioned in front'ofthe valve to assi-st in preventing the opening of the valves by the direct splashing of liquid thereagainst. It Will non7 be noted that the rotation of the tank back to its normal inoperative position will immediately stop further mixing of the charges duction yof foam cap 17,

latter being preferably forated to receive apin secured in a suitablemanner to a distributing pipe or hose 29. To assist an operator in rotating the tank,V a handvvheel31 is preferably fixed on the `end 32 of thevshaft 8, the

diametrically per- 33 arranged to Vengage the bearing cap A36 for holding the tank againstrotation in either the operative or inoperative positions. The tank and mix ino" chamber may,

if desired, beprovided with a liningformed oflead oruother chemically resistant material. ln the event that circumstances, to

lfrom the chamber 13, arelief valve 38 being here shown connected to the discharge pipe 24 externally of the tank.

An acid bottle 41 may also be included in the structure, such bottle being preferably arranged to be removablymounted in an externally opening receptacle 42 provided in the Wall of one of the compartments and communicating therewith, said bottle being arranged to discharge at the same side of the tank as is the chamber 13. The bottle 41 is preferably provided With a lead stcpper43, arranged either to be held' seated or to be left free to be displaced upon the inversion of the bottle, so that the apparatus may be used With various .combinations charges as may be desired.

.lin the embodiment of Figure 4, .the portien 18 of the tank Wall 1b` defining one side of the chamber 13 is not depressed, so that the partition 9 maybe of the form ofa complete circle, and a still further simpli'ed tankstructure thus results. l

l claimt of chemical 1Q ln a chemical fire extinguisher, a tank mounted for rotation about affixed axis `and partitioned toprovide a plurality of normally sealed compartments therein, a chamber provided with an outlet arranged to receive charges from all of said compartmentsupon the rotative displacement of said tank, and means automatically operative to seal said 4chamber from said compartmentsupo-n a return displacement of the tank to its primary position.

2. Ina chemical fire extinguisher, a tank 2 mounted for rotation about a Vfixed axis and partitioned tolprovide a plurality of nor-- mally sealed compartments `therein for the icc reception .of .different chemical solutions, `a

chamber provided With an outlet fixedly associated With said tank and connected to said compartments by normally closed passages, valves in said passages arranged to open uponrotative displacement of ,said tank to permit charges ofsolution from said compartments .to enter ,said chamber., and ,become mixed therein, said `valves being ,arranged to .close upon .a restoring of the tank toit'snormal position. p n 3. In a chemical fire extinguisher, a `generally cylindrical tank mounted for rotation about the axis thereof and'partitioned axially Lto provide a plurality of normally sealed compartments arranged to receive charges of different chemical solutions which are adapted to react when mixed to produce a gas charged fire smothering foam, a chamber fixedlyV associated with .said tank andpro trading radi-ally outwardly therefrom with respect to said axis of rotation, passages connecting said chamber with said compartments, one-way valves arranged to permit the flow of liquid from said compartments to said chamber only when said chamber is disposed to extend downwardly of said tank, and a passage leading from said chamber through which the contents thereof are arl ranged to be discharged by reason of the pressure of the gas generated upon the mixing` of the solutions inthe chamber.

4. In a chemical fire extinguisher, a tank -mounted for rotation -about a horizontal axis and partitioned to provide a plurality of normally sealed compartments therein, a chamber provided with an outlet carried by said tank and arranged to receive charges from all of said compartments upon a rotative displacement of said tank, and gravitationally controlled valve ,means operative to permit the flow of liquid from said compartments to said chamber only when said chamber is disposed to extend downwardlyV of said tank and to seal said chamber from said compartments when said tank is in normal position.

Intestimon whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at akland, California, this 16th day of September, 1925.

GEORGE W. MOFFITT. 

